Smyrna times., 1887-04-13
LIE Fills DU JOUR DE IAN.

4 a
In the autumn of 1880 was spending
few weeks ut the Hotel ChristOl in Bon.
logne-sur-Mer, which is but a short dis.
tance by rail from Calais. This seaside
resort is a favOrite place for both French
and English inyalids, because the air is
generally fresh and well charged with
that indescribable but perfectly well un-
derstood invigorating element called
ozone. There is very little in the Bas
Vile that is of interest to a visitor, except
the Etablissement de Mer, large build
ing and garden at the northern end of the
town, which are sacred to the pleasures of
the elite There they dance, promenade.
hirt, play billiards, bathe or spend hours
IN the luxurious reading room, perusinQ
the Journals of all parts of the civilized
world.
It so happened that at the period of nv
visit to BoulOgne the weather was almost
continually bad. The rain fell the chill
and damp winds swept disagreeably
through the streets, and everybody seemed
to be on the verge of dying of ennui. I.
with Others was one dav fattenin0 nv
nose against the hotel window panes Of
the general reception room, watching the
shipping on the Liane or the blue blOused
Ouvriers as they clattered in their sabots
through the splashing streets Suddenly
the clouds broke up and the sun shOne
brilliantly. Shortly afterward crowd of
men and women approached the hotel
across the Lane s swinging bridge. They
We're evidently in q state of excitement
and the object of their excitement seemed
to be in their midst, for the women. men
and children ceased their chattering every
few moments to cast their eyes down or to
point their finger at something OF some
Dody that was moving along in the center.
Ihe procession of enthusiasts moved on
until they came to the quay. Then they
turned to the left and disappeared in the
daIe des POissOns. All I could observe in
the midst Of this picturesque crowd was n
little boy, probably 10 years of ace. who
walked with his eyes fixed steadily before
him as if he were totally unconscious of
anything unusual going on around him.
Ills lace which was very regular, pale and
beautiful, struck me as being somewhat
unearthly-as if it were tinged by some
influence from heaven or that mysterious
Othef land which no man can describe.
although regarding it he may have n
thousand fantastic and unstable fancies.
w hat a singular looking childr' I ex-
Claimed to French gentleman standing
next to me at the window. ''The poor bow
is evidently insane"
Pardon me, monsieur, " my COMPANION
replied; ''the child is not insane. That ia
little JacopO, le 1ils du jour dc Fan. who
Is positively adored by the poorer classes
IN this part of the country
The child of the New Yearpj 7 OK.
claimed, translating my friends remark.
What singular name. What does #
Eli mean?''
Come with me, - said my companion.
"We'H proceed, if you please. to the fish
market, where, no doubt, you will find the
lsh women bowling and dancing and
throwing nowers on little Jacopo.'
we proceed to the Halle des POissons.
Inc slghG that met my eyes was some
thing it would be very difficult to FORGET
There stood the strange child. with fbe
pure white hair, in the center of n prOnn
OF excited men and women. whose hare
arms showed that they had lust left their
stalls. They were throwing flowers at
nm and praising him in extravagant
Terms lie, al the time, took no notice
OF them, but kept gazing before him. and
every IeW minutes exclaiming in a kind
Oi ecstasy: "Claire, ma Clairer' His dress
was sing gularly neat, but Of colOrless white.
WIllle ms long hair fell over his shoulders
untrameled by cap of any kind.
That boy" said my friend. {" has a
wonderful story in connection with his
short life, AMI these poor people look uDon
ms presence among them as a good omen
AZ t.lS moment they are blessing him for
thaI burst OF sunshine which, q few min
uUeS ago, helped to make our law life en-
durable up there at the Hotel ChristOl -
IN the drawing room of our hotel nv /
friend told me the story Of Door Jacono. |
-Four years previous to the events bersin /
narrated JacopO was left an orphan. to- /
gether with his only sister. Claire Roh /
belonged to the Haute Vile that frowns /
dOWn upon US up there as if in its pride of |
aSelI scorned this plebeian Bas Vile They
became SO attached to each other that
Sley We're mseparable, and the neighbors
4oVed them for their beauty their innoS
cence and their affection. Tho cbiid-", ID
wandered hand in hand f5r hours tbroTr,b
thc' quiet old town. At times tho,
were found playing among the sand oc-
cunulated In front Of the Porte Dune
with ltJ heavy and grim portcuiIiee3
gaze ~ others they played in front of the
queer AItIe house where Godfrey do
Doulllon, the first crusader king of
Jerusalem, q thousand years ego, was
Dorn; but above all they loved to stroll
through the cathedral, gazing with awe
at teVerything-thc great gold candles tbo
spiendid altarS, the valuable pictures ~
ChrlsS and the Mother Of Sorrows. tbc
DUO spangled arched roof with the velIov,
o''..'' anu tEc gruesOmc offerings made nv
P.-''eiit' VINO had been cured Of maladies
~ persistent appeals to some favorito
saint. They even spent bonrs s,,,or,o' ~ nc
crypts, where endless tonbs and o fa--,
siot5 m the damp, bare walls made ave1.y-
ChiA5 look so weird and supernaturaIiv
sOle..ln lhGt, except III the DAYTIME NOT
even l-.e Dravest of the residents nj 4ba |
alaute -, Vllle would venture among thorn
Ahese children, however, were tooinnocent
70 know fear. And so they went alone -.
gether hand in hand through tbe T eSros.
grown old streets of Godfrey's birtbnlace
but one day Claire died She was
blonde and Jacopo was dark. At fret a..
ehiId Jacopo could not understand 49,
@ nao become Of his beloved sister He
CIV sl Her AItle body strewn with fresh emf
IIoMeis ana the chaplet Of snow white
A-o"eIS thaJ surrounded her marble brovv
ssi'ere Cne yellow silk hair straved down
1Issst- .i- He touched her face and cried.
Nlel.e' my Claire, why do you not sneak
., - me- IL Is only me, little brother Ia
SoDoi And when no answer came from
s'.s.s W NIUE dead body, his parOxysms of
go became 50 violent that the good
1-;lI - i5HDots balQ ne would surely
~itl n.lll hlillselI and carried him away.
Ohe day the now utterly forlorn child
wa walking half sobbine. throuSb
Slai" SlaIIo" Old street, where queer gabled
~ uses cast fantastic shadows alone fbe
.llLllost forsaken -thoroughfare. and ',,o ne
sound disturbed the silence but tbe m prajso
SINGING OF some pious sisters in one 6f fbe
@Cnvehts s'.,.D that abound in the Haute VrIe
st sIeN i q vicious young man, known as
IL, - o9tlvage,' approached Jacopo and
~ ssaughed and jested at him for his y9eonie,
Tor q mere girl. iiS weeping
on ought to be a girl yourself rt
~ want to find Claire why do von not 90 -
.aoS .,s,, 70 the crypt Of the cathedral at ma
,S =, atq then you will find vour siete. >,
Inc eRla looked up with his LARGO Sarl,
syes nashlng with the light Of exnecfstio,, .1
!. And shall truly find ma ebers- ssv1SaGn S1oiI.
sscs Jacopo asked.
.sssS - ~ q course you win, you little fool !,
ss.,u s ne savage, as he ran of down onoos
s''e gnSs1ly streets of old Bouloene y
- IN =. lhaJ same night the FAT old sac,,st.. '
-s,.s ny eathedrsl was aroused from re
Srs, by hearing shril cries isspi.1 '.,s
.,',. bs,,. where in the great edifice Tbs G
-. - sSs ~ midnight Father Hildeb,a,.5
4